Shadow Reincarnation
by Analon
Summary: A passing remark from the most surprising ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves leads the second God of Shinobi to redesign his predecessor's technique. Under the mentorship of the legendary leaders of Konohagakure, watch the growth of Uzumaki Naruto on the road to his destiny.
1. Chapter 1

**Summoning: Shadow Reincarnation**

**Summary: **A passing remark from the most surprising ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves leads the second God of Shinobi to redesign his predecessor's technique. Armed with the help of the legendary leaders of Konohagakure, watch the growth of Uzumaki Naruto on the road to his destiny.

**Hello, readers! I know I already have a big project ongoing in the Pokémon fan fiction, but I just couldn't get this plot idea out of my head. This story will not take priority over my other work, don't worry! For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto'. **

**Chapter 1**

**The scroll of forbidden techniques**

_The things I have do to become Genin... _Naruto thought to himself as he sneaked out of the Hokage tower, treading in light but quick steps. _I mean, stealing a scroll from the old man's office? Come on! If this is what I have to do to become Genin, I'd hate to think what I should do to be chūnin. _Naruto shuddered, abandoning that train of thought. _Ah well, it's not like Mizuki Sensei would lie to me, right?_

And so, Naruto proceeded to put as much distance between himself and the tower as possible. Inwardly, he patted himself on the back for knocking out the Hokage and all his ANBU with his ultimate secret technique. He chuckled menacingly. _What a bunch of perverts! _All he had to do after that was to apply Henge on himself to make it look like he was not carrying anything. The forbidden scroll was safely strapped onto his back, the Henge covering it from view of unsuspecting shinobi. It would have been a whole different story if the ANBU surrounding the building had noticed the technique. But as it was, they weren't particularly looking for it and they had seen him often enough around the tower to not give his presence a second thought.

After a good amount of sneaking and hiding, he arrived, unnoticed, at one of the many training grounds of the village. As it was evening already, most of them were deserted. Now all he had to do was learn a technique and be done with it.

Naruto inspected the large scroll in his possession. A large seal surrounded the scroll, the continuous black ink surrounding it many times. _What's this fancy writing? _He wondered. _Looks like that writing in those explosive tags, but the characters look different. What do they call it again, fuuinjutsu?_

Upon his attempt to open the scroll, Naruto found that he could not. Gritting his teeth, he tried to unroll it with all his might. The scroll didn't budge.

_It's like it's locked. _Naruto frowned. But he couldn't see any locks, as bizarre as it sounded, on the scroll. All he could see were those patterns that ran around the scroll for no apparent purpose.

_Oh, so that's it!_ Naruto thought back to his visits to the shinobi weapons shop a few months ago. He had seen the owner smear some of his blood on a similar scroll to open it. When he asked about it, the man grinned and said it was for protection. Naruto liked that man. He was one of the few that treated him like he was _there_. Between the hostile glares of many of the civilian populace and weary looks of a few shinobi, Naruto knew only a few people who acknowledged him as just a kid. Whatever the others thought he was a mystery to him.

_Well, no harm in trying. _Naruto mentally shrugged. Cutting his middle finger with a kunai, he smeared his blood on the scroll. Seeing nothing happen, he instinctually pushed some chakra into it. Naruto almost jumped back in shock as the scroll suddenly snapped open.

_Yatta!_ He cheered mentally. Eagerly looking at the first item in the scroll, his pleasant mood suddenly evaporated. _You have got to be kidding me._

An hour later found Naruto lying with his back in the ground, an exhilarated smile on his face. _I finally did it. Shadow clone technique, success! With Multiple shadow clone technique to boot! _He thought happily. Dismissing his first 'batch' of successful clones, he got up to roll up the scroll. That was when a thought struck him.

_Might as well see what's in here. _He thought to himself. _Hmm... Bringer of Darkness Technique. Created by the First Hokage? Cool! But damn, that's a Genjutsu. No good with those. _Naruto frowned. _Maybe there's another technique by a Hokage in here?_ Glancing further down, another technique caught his attention.

_Summoning: Impure world Reincarnation. Created by the Second Hokage. Bingo! _Naruto grinned to himself. Glancing at the rank, his breath caught his throat. _S-rank? Are you freakin' kidding me? They're letting me look at a scroll with an S-rank technique? _Naruto began to get a feeling of dread. _This is the scroll I was supposed to take, right?_ Blocking his thoughts on the consequences, he glanced at the technique. _Can't hurt to know. _He thought.

_Let's see. Hand Seals are Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon and then I should- clap my hands? What? Okay then. Hmm... Now what does it do?_ Naruto glanced at the description. A minute later, his face became pale and he almost started to hyperventilate. _Bring back the dead? Human sacrifice? What the hell? _Naruto was totally freaked out. No way was he going to kill someone to have a zombie army!

"Do you have any idea what you have done, Uzumaki Naruto?" A voice jolted Naruto out of his shock. Naruto recognized the voice even before he saw the owner. Turning, he confirmed his suspicions. _Yup, Iruka Sensei. A very pissed off Iruka Sensei at that. Looks like I got the wrong scroll after all._

"Umm... I passed?" Naruto decided to play it safe.

"What?" Now, Iruka was officially confused.

"Mizuki Sensei said I could become Genin if I pass the special exam!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What special exam?" Iruka frowned.

"The one where I have to steal the forbidden scroll from the old man's office?" Naruto asked, now unsure.

"Mizuki told you that?" Iruka shouted, disbelieving.

"Yes I did." Another voice interrupted the duo. Looking up, the student and teacher saw Mizuki standing on one of the surrounding trees. "Now if you would be so kind as to give me the scroll, I could get going."

Now, while Naruto was fairly confused at the turn of events, Iruka was not. He was a chūnin, and knew what this meant. "You're betraying the village? Why?" he asked, pained. Mizuki had been a good friend. What could possibly drive him to this?

"No concern of yours." Mizuki said coldly. "My business is with the little demon over there." He turned to Naruto. "Hand me the scroll, and I might spare you."

Naruto was now in shock. "What do you mean, betraying the village?" He shouted.

"It means that I no longer have my allegiance to Konohagakure, dear dead last." Mizuki replied with a smirk.

"I know what it means!" Naruto said indignantly. "But why? Konoha is our home!" He said desperately.

"Konoha was my home. And it is not your home, Kyuubi."

"Mizuki, don't!" Iruka shouted, horrified.

Naruto froze. There it was again. This was perhaps the third time he was related to the Kyuubi. _All this because I was born on that day?_ He asked himself.

Mizuki smirked. "Don't you want to know why you're hated, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Why?" Naruto abruptly asked, not missing the chance. A hundred times, he asked this to many who he knew. A sad gaze was often his only reply.

"Twelve years ago-" Mizuki said, dodging a shuriken from Iruka. "do you want to know what happened that night?" He asked menacingly.

* * *

**Two hours ago, Hokage's office**

"Lord Hokage! Are you alright?" a frantic ANBU shook their beloved leader. A twitch from the Hokage's hand went unnoticed. A second later, the ANBU found himself pinned to the wooden floor, a kunai in his throat.

"Oh, it's only you, Boar. Sorry. Reflex reaction." The Hokage apologized, removing the kunai from his guard's throat.

"Ah, it's alright, Lord Hokage. I thought you were unconscious." The ANBU said shakily, still shocked at the speed of the aged Sandaime.

"I... dozed off." The Hokage lied with a straight face, wiping a trickle of blood from his nose. Suddenly, he remembered what he saw when he was last conscious. Snapping his head towards his desk, he found what he dreaded.

"The scroll. Where is it?" The Hokage asked tersely.

Turning his head towards the location of the forbidden scroll, Boar gulped. "Not here."

"ANBU!" The Sandaime called. Six figures materialized before him. "Alert every Jounin in the village that the forbidden scroll is missing. I want it in my desk in three hours. It was last seen with Naruto Uzumaki. Your orders are to retrieve the scroll. Do not harm him under any circumstances!" He ordered.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" the ANBU chorused, and vanished from sight.

The aged Hokage sighed. _What are you up to now, Naruto?_

* * *

**Training ground 32, Present time**

Naruto had yet to get over his shock. Who could blame him? After all, he had just learnt that the most powerful demon in all of existence is sealed within them. He had the right to freak out, thank you very much!

_How does something that large even fit? _Naruto thought hysterically. _That's not the point! _Another part of his mind yelled.

"That's right." Mizuki smirked. "You are the Kyuubi no Kitsune, The nine tailed demon fox."

Naruto's thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Wait. Rewind. "What?" He exclaimed. "First, you said it was sealed in me. Now you're saying it is me?"

"Oh, you can't fool us!" Mizuki said, smirking. "We all know you took over that body, Kyuubi!"

Now Naruto was annoyed. "Oi! I would know if I am the fox, idiot! What, do you think the fox got amnesia? I think you need to visit the nice guys with the white coats." Yeah, his old sensei had gone nuts. It explained everything, really. Poor guy.

Mizuki sputtered in outrage. "Your time is up, Kyuubi!" He spat, readying his Fuuma shuriken.

"Maa, maa, I think you got it backwards." A new voice came from behind Mizuki. "Nighty night!"

The last thing Mizuki felt before he blacked out was a chop at the back of his neck.

Iruka blinked. "Kakashi?" Sure enough, he saw the infamous copy ninja in the branch Mizuki had occupied moments earlier.

* * *

Naruto gulped as he entered the Hokage's room, a guilty expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, old man! He tricked me! He said it was a special exam and I-"

Naruto was silenced when the Sandaime held out a hand. "Yes, Naruto, I saw what happened at the end. I managed to locate you with this." He said, pointing at this crystal ball. "You were not at fault. But please think twice in the future. You shouldn't trust someone blindly."

"So... I'm not in trouble?" Naruto asked.

"No, you're not." The aged Sandaime smiled. "But the fact that you managed to infiltrate the tower, with that outfit" the Hokage said, gesturing at Naruto's orange jumpsuit "is quite a feat."

Naruto thought for a moment. "Impressive enough to be Genin?" He asked hopefully.

The Sandaime looked at Iruka, his question clear. He didn't interfere with academy graduations, so the chunin had the final say.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but even if your stealth is impressive, I cannot pass you with just that. You need to produce a clone, as per the requirements." He said sadly.

"I learned how to do it!" Naruto said with a big grin. "It's a bit different, but still. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"

Three identical copies of Naruto materialized near him, grinning ear to ear. "Do I pass?" They asked simultaneously.

Iruka was gaping.

The Hokage felt his mind reel in shock. He looked at the scroll of seals, and saw what he dreaded. While it was rolled up, the seal surrounding the scroll had vanished. It was now open.

"Naruto!" The Sandaime nearly shouted. "How did you open the Scroll of Seals?"

Iruka shakily looked at the scroll, only to find that the scroll was, indeed, open. _Impossible! Only the Hokage's blood will open it!_

"Umm... I swiped some of my blood in it." Naruto replied. "And put some chakra" He added.

_His blood? _The Hokage suddenly paled. _Minato's blood. The seal works for close blood relations as well. Oh dear._

"Naruto, what else did you find in there?" The Hokage asked cautiously.

_But how did Naruto open the scroll? _Iruka thought, still shocked. He didn't voice his question, however.

"I learned the **Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu**." Naruto thought for a moment and shuddered slightly. "I also saw the Impure world-"

"What?!" The Hokage shouted, dropping his pipe in shock. "Tell me you didn't see how to use it."

"I... did. But I won't use it! What kind of a Jutsu needs you to-" Naruto was interrupted again by the Sandaime.

"That's enough. Naruto, I absolutely forbid you from using that technique, or even mentioning its name, to anyone. I hope you know why. The number of people who know about it can be counted with one hand. This will be an SS ranked secret. Do not, even under threat of death, reveal that technique to anyone. Iruka, that goes for you too. You did not hear anything. Understood?"

The Naruto and the chunin nodded shakily. Neither had seen the Hokage react like this before. Naruto understood the reason, as he knew what that technique did. Iruka glanced at Naruto, worried. _What kind of a technique did you learn, Naruto? For your sake, I hope you know how to keep the secret. _

After a moment of silence, Naruto turned to Iruka. "So does that mean I can be Genin now?"

Iruka shook his head with an exasperated smile. "Yes, yes. You made a clone. A B ranked technique at that. Congratulations! You pass!"

"YATTA!" Naruto jumped, fist-pumping. "I'm gonna take that hat from you in no time, old man!"

"Naruto, be respectful!" Iruka admonished.

The Sandaime chuckled good naturedly. He opened another drawer in his desk and took out a storage scroll. Unsealing it, he took out an old headband.

"Uzumaki Naruto, from this moment, you are a Genin of Konohagakure! Congratulations!"

"Thanks old man!" Naruto smiled. "Eh... don't you have any new ones?" He asked, inspecting the worn headband.

"Oh, I do." The Hokage smiled warmly. "However, the previous owner of that headband would have wanted you to have it."

Naruto frowned. _Who would want to give him a gift?_ "Really? Whose headband is it?"

"That of my successor." The third smiled. "And predecessor."

Naruto froze, his hands shaking. "You... you're kidding, right?"

"No, Naruto. That is the very same headband I gave to Namikaze Minato, Konoha's beloved Yondaime, when he made Genin." The Sandaime said with a smile, enjoying the look of shock on both Naruto's and Iruka's face.

"But... why?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence.

The Sandaime smiled sadly. He couldn't tell him the truth. But since Mizuki had already spilled the secret, he could go with that. "Because you, Naruto, saved Konohagakure from the Kyuubi no Kitsune twelve years ago."

The headband clattered as it fell on the wooden floor.

Naruto looked down, unsure how to feel. "So Mizuki was not lying?" He asked. What Mizuki said made sense, of course. But he wanted to cling on to the hope that maybe his former sensei really was insane.

"Minato did seal the Kyuubi in you, Naruto." The Sandaime said, sighing. "Please understand. The Kyuubi no Kitsune is a force of nature. It cannot be killed. The village would not have survived the encounter if he had not sealed it. Only a living body can contain it. That too, of a newborn, whose chakra coils will be undeveloped. He did not have a choice, Naruto. If he had not made that decision, neither you, nor I would have lived to talk about it."

The Sandaime sighed, and continued. "The last part of what Mizuki said was not true. You are not the Kyuubi. You are the hero of Konohagakure who keeps it at bay. The Fourth wanted you to be seen as a hero, but the villagers didn't see it that way. I'm sorry for their poor treatment, Naruto, but even I can only do so much. I passed a law preventing the younger generation from knowing about this, but that was all I could do."

Naruto bent down slowly, and picked up the headband. "I think I understand." He said, contemplating. "A Hokage has to do what is best for the village. Don't worry, Jiji. One day, I know they'll understand who I am." He tied the headband around his forehead, replacing his goggles. "Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure, future Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, knowing that his parents would be proud of their son. Iruka too, was more than a little impressed by Naruto's resolve.

"Now, remember what I told you, Naruto. Not a word about that technique, don't even mumble it in your sleep." The Hokage said seriously.

"Right." Naruto nodded. "Too bad you can't do it with Shadow Clone, though." Naruto said, almost as an afterthought. "See ya later, Jiji!" He waved, and left the room with Iruka trailing behind.

The thoughts of the Third Hokage had all but frozen at Naruto's latest remark. _Do it with shadow clones? Could it be possible?_

The Hokage abruptly signalled his ANBU to leave him alone until they were called back. He opened the forbidden scroll, and gazed at the technique abandoned by the Second Hokage. His thoughts wandered back to nearly fifty years ago, when his teacher shared with him the technique that could start or end a war.

* * *

"Sensei, do you actually plan to use a technique like this?" Young Hiruzen asked, horrified at the jutsu that was wrong in so many levels.

"No." Senju Tobirama shook his head empathetically. "However, I wish I could have."

"What do you mean?" Hiruzen asked, frowning.

"When I started researching this technique, I wanted to create a technique that would enable our shinobi to be called back from the dead if they wished to fight for Konoha." Tobirama clarified. "I know quite a few ninja that would happily battle for Konoha even after their last breaths. I myself, and my late brother would do it without a second thought. But only after reaching the final stage of this technique, did I find the problem."

"The living sacrifice?" Hiruzen asked. Tobirama nodded.

"Exactly. Do you know why we need a living sacrifice, Hiruzen?" Seeing his student shake his head in negative, Tobirama elaborated. "It is for chakra."

Hiruzen frowned. "What do you mean?"

"While a genetic sample would allow me to recreate the personality and techniques of the person I summon, there is still one major obstacle. That person should have chakra to perform his techniques. A genetic sample cannot create chakra. Hence the living sacrifice." Tobirama said gravely.

"The chakra of the person is used for the reincarnated shinobi?" Hiruzen asked.

"No. The body of the person... is converted to chakra." Tobirama explained. "The body also serves as a medium to hold the summoning together until all of the body is converted."

"But sensei, converting the body to chakra... that would be a lot of chakra." Hiruzen paled at the implications.

"Yes. For all purposes, it would amount to an enormous amount of chakra. As the jutsu progresses, parts of the person is converted to chakra. Thus even if the reincarnated shinobi suffers from a mortal wound, the chakra would coalesce again around the wounded body to rebuild it. It would be practically impossible to defeat. However, I'm not prepared to sacrifice someone for this, even if we use captured enemies. We are not desperate to sink that low. That's why, Hiruzen, I'm sealing this technique away in the Scroll of Sealing. If you succeed in finding a way to avoid sacrifices after my time, you may call me back to fight for Konoha." Tobirama watched his student nod, and sealed the technique away in the scroll.

* * *

_A Shadow Clone... could the answer really be so simple? _The Third Hokage thought in wonder. _It would serve as a medium, and it has the chakra of the user. But converting the body of the Shadow clone to energy would still yield only as much chakra as the chakra used to create the clone. The Shadow Clone is an entity made of Chakra, after all. Its robustness depends on the amount of chakra used to create it._ It's the reverse case of a living sacrifice,He realized. _So converting the shadow clone directly to energy would destroy the clone. But what if I could modify the process and have the technique leech out the chakra from the shadow clone instead?_

Wordlessly, the Hokage took his brush and a fresh scroll. He remembered the pattern required for the special scroll for the Impure World Reincarnation. He closed his eyes in thought. _The disintegration seal and the chakra seal are combined to convert the body to chakra. But if I replace it with an absorption seal... _The Sandaime made quick, careful strokes as he traced out the intricate pattern. He looked at the new pattern carefully. _That should do it. _

The Sandaime checked the room again, and saw that it was indeed empty. Placing some silencing seals, he shakily extended his hand and traced out a pattern in the Forbidden Scroll. A pop was heard, two vials of blood materialized.

_Lord Tobirama wanted this. I am not summoning him against his will._ The aged Hokage reassured himself.

Wordlessly, the Hokage created a Shadow Clone, who placed himself in front of him. Removing the cork of the vial, the Sandaime smeared a few drops of his mentor's blood on it. _Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon._ The Hokage clapped his hands together and muttered.

"**Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!**"

A layer of mud and dust coated the Shadow Clone, and the Hokage watched on with slight trepidation as the form of the technique shifted to that of his mentor. Soon, the form of the Nidaime Hokage was complete. The Sandaime jolted as the body gave a twitch and the Second Hokage opened his eyes.

"Sensei..." The Sandaime whispered in a sorrowful tone, still shocked that it had worked.

Tobirama looked at his body and stared at his hands for a moment. He looked at the Sandaime and smiled. "Took you long enough, my student. You've grown old."

**Post A/N: And... cut! Tell me what you think of the story. This idea might have been used before, but I've tried to model a new concept as much as possible. So tell me if I should continue this. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto'. **

**This update came a lot faster than expected. My thanks to Testsubject069 for inspiring me to write this.**

**I'm heading off some OOC complains right here. Naruto will be marginally smarter in this story, a bit more like his Shippudden counterpart. Because of this, you'll find that Sakura is more tolerant towards Naruto. He doesn't bug her every two minutes, and she doesn't hit him for bugging her every two minutes. I hope you guys don't mind? It's been a long, long time since I've seen the original series, and the shippudden character is what's sticking to my mind.**

**I apologize for the dialogue heavy chapter. I assure you, it was necessary.**

**Chapter 2**

**Senju Hashirama**

"Come on, Tobirama, don't be so paranoid!"

"No."

"Please."

"No. Shut up, brother."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, watched the squabble of the Senju brothers in amusement. His old teachers were always like this. The First was jovial and trusting, while the Second was serious, reasonably paranoid and perhaps a tad too mistrusting. When he had first met Senju Hashirama, he was in a world of fear. To him, Senju Hashirama was the leader of the legendary Senju Clan, and the strongest shinobi to walk on earth, bar perhaps, the Sage of the Six Paths himself. Thus it came as a great shock to him when he found that the 'God of Shinobi' behaved nothing like a shinobi. At least, not in the conventional sense.

"May I speak?" Hiruzen asked politely, interrupting his teachers from their conversation.

"Yes, Hiruzen?" The First Hokage beamed at his student.

"I agree with Lord Hashirama on this matter." Hiruzen cringed at the glare directed at him from the Second Hokage.

_I knew that reviving Hashirama was a bad idea._ Tobirama thought. "State your reasons." Tobirama said curtly, his eyebrow twitching at his brother's smug smile.

"I believe he can be trusted. He has inherited the Will of Fire, even at this young age. Even after growing up in a world of hatred, he cherishes this village and would die to protect it. Of that, I'm sure." Hiruzen said.

The Second Hokage's frown softened. "As expected from an Uzumaki." He nodded. "But you forget that he is still Genin, and a twelve year old."

"And Mitsuhiko's grandson, according to Hiruzen." Hashirama supplied helpfully.

Tobirama sighed. "May be so, but he is still only twelve. He cannot keep such a secret. If word gets out that you were reincarnated, chaos will erupt."

"Sensei, he already knows about this Jutsu." Hiruzen said, supporting Hashirama once more. "Moreover, he could be the only person that could use this technique effectively."

"Now you want us to teach him this technique?" Tobirama asked incredulously.

"Not now, but perhaps in the future. As you said, the fundamental limitation of this **Shadow Reincarnation **is chakra. Even a Kage like me cannot create a Shadow Clone with sufficient strength to make it last long enough in a battle. But once Naruto learns to access the Kyuubi's chakra, perhaps he can use it to strengthen the Shadow Clones. Only then can this technique be used effectively should the need arise. Moreover, he already has enough Chakra to almost match my reserves." Hiruzen paused. "He is the sole reason this new technique exists, after all."

"I can sense his chakra level." Tobirama nodded, closing his eyes. "His chakra is one of the strongest presences in Konoha, along with yours. But we will be placing him in great danger with all this crucial information."

"Tobirama, the boy is perhaps the last member of the Uzumaki Clan." Hashirama said seriously. "From what I understand, the Senju clan has dwindled in numbers as well, leaving Tsuna to be the only legitimate member." The First Hokage sighed. "He is the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, and all the loneliness and hatred towards him is my fault. I want to meet him and train him." Hashirama was in a world of guilt after hearing about the village's treatment towards the last Uzumaki. He was also Mito's close blood relative. The First Hokage wanted to mentor him, now that an opportunity had arisen. The **Shadow Reincarnation, **as he had named the technique,wasn't particularly useful in direct combat at this point, so Hashirama could see no harm in his plan.

Seeing his brother open his mouth to protest, Hashirama glared. "That is final. Understood?"

Tobirama closed his mouth. It was pointless to argue when his brother got like this. He sighed. "Very well. Have it your way." He seriously hoped the twelve year old could keep his mouth shut.

"Excellent." The First Hokage smiled. "Now, there is the matter of accommodation. Hiruzen, are the properties of the Senju Clan still usable?"

"Yes." Hiruzen promptly replied. "I shall order my ANBU to keep out of the area. They know to obey without asking questions. I assume you and Tobirama Sensei would be... er... occupying the Clan house?" Living was the wrong word to use, Hiruzen decided.

"And the boy, too." Hashirama said amusedly, understanding Hiruzen's dilemma.

"Naruto too? But that might raise too many questions." Hiruzen frowned thoughtfully.

"I trust you know how to handle them." The First Hokage said in amusement. "I find no reason to keep the identity of the boy's mother a secret any longer. His father is another matter, but the other should not create many problems. The Uzumaki are descendents of the Senju, and Naruto would legally be the heir to the house as Tsuna isn't here at the moment." Hashirama became gloomy as he thought about his granddaughter. That she had all but abandoned Konoha came as a great shock to him. He couldn't blame her, but it pained him nonetheless. He was resolved to bring her back at all costs.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was bored.

Those close to Naruto knew, that this was a very, very bad thing.

To say that Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura weren't particularly close to the dead last would be an understatement. But still, they understood how his brain worked. This came as a side effect of being his classmates for the last few years.

Which is why Naruto was not surprised the least by Sakura's accusatory statement.

"You're up to something." Sakura said, her eyes narrowed.

"Ah ha ha... You know me too well, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "How about we give our sensei a proper greeting?"

"He is a Jonin." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Your pranks won't work on him."

"I'm sure many of the ANBU are Jonin too." Naruto grinned, placing the duster from their class above the door that was conveniently half open.

Sasuke scoffed. "Like you could prank ANBU."

"Oh, I could, I did and I will. Watch me." Naruto grinned. "Remember what happened to the Hokage Monument?"

Sasuke's eye twitched, and Sakura groaned. "Will you stop gloating over that? That was disrespectful!"

"What does that tell you about the quality of village security, dear Sakura?" Naruto asked, making the final touches to his latest work. "They're getting way too comfy. If they didn't notice me, how can they notice an enemy ninja who could sabotage the village just as easily?"

Sakura frowned. For a dead last, Naruto was surprisingly intelligent. He just didn't have the patience to sit and study. Then there's that Clone Jutsu that always gave him trouble.

"How did you pass anyway?" She asked curiously.

"With a new type of Cloning Jutsu." Naruto replied. "I can't do the normal clone technique because I have too much chakra. So the old man taught it to me. I'll show you sometime, seeing as to how we're teammates and all."

Sakura nodded, curious about this new clone Jutsu. Naruto retook his seat and Sakura continued to fawn over Sasuke.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi slowly walked through the corridors of the academy, looking every bit relaxed, like he wasn't late for the team assignments at all. His eyes flickered over to the suspicious door, and sure enough, there was a duster waiting for him. _Well, it'd be a shame to disappoint them._ He decided, and opened the door, letting the duster fall on his head. He looked at the room to find two of his Genin gaping and one snickering. _Well now, at least I made a good first impression._

"Meet me upstairs." He said, and vanished in a swirl of leaves. The duster fell down and clattered on the floor.

"Well, what do you know, it's that guy." Naruto muttered to himself, remembering the Jonin that knocked out Mizuki in one hit.

"You know him?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. I mean... I've seen him around the village." He was forbidden from discussing Mizuki's betrayal. The Hokage thought it was best that the students didn't know they were taught by a traitor. Technically, he recalled that he had seen that distinct patch of silver hair on occasion. So he wasn't lying, really.

The newly formed Team 7 found their sensei casually leaning against a wall in the terrace. He motioned them to sit.

"Well, let's get to know each other, shall we?"

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi found himself in the Senju manor after quite a long time. The place still brought a feel of nostalgia within him. He remembered coming here often with his teammates to be trained in the Clan grounds, way back during the start of the village. There were no organized training grounds then, and so the First Hokage had opted to teach them in his clan grounds. The Senju clan was still a major clan back then, before the First Shinobi World War.

After ordering maintenance of the Senju grounds by a special ANBU team, he and his mentors had discussed several key issues of the village last night. The old Hokage was honest to his old mentors, and Hashirama was heartbroken to know about the destiny of the Uchiha clan. The Nidaime looked like he more or less expected it. Hashirama reluctantly agreed to postpone informing Tsunade, because all the activity surrounding the Senju grounds were suspicious enough as it is. The only ones who knew about the revival of the Hokages were the Third Hokage and the ANBU commander. Dragon was a truly loyal and devoted ninja, who replaced Kakashi a few years ago in the position. Hiruzen was sure the undesirable elements of his village wouldn't know of the reincarnated Hokages through him.

Now, the clan grounds were in a minor state of decay, but it looked impressive, to say the least. It was of equal size to the Uchiha, and marginally bigger than the Hyuga. They were a large clan, after all. Thankfully, the Sandaime had forbidden Tsunade from gambling with the Senju grounds and the manor. Hence, the land lay in the outskirts of Konoha, untouched until yesterday. The maintenance crew had done their job, and the manor was now fit to live. Naruto sure would be surprised, the Sandaime mused.

Entering the mansion, he stretched his senses and found that he was alone. Well, Dragon was present in the shadows, but no one else was in the vicinity. He unrolled a summoning scroll and applied a bit of chakra, summoning the former Hokages from his office. He couldn't risk them being in public sight, and they had agreed. Even if they could hide themselves well, a Hyuga or an Inuzuka might notice their presence.

"A bit worn down." Hashirama commented. "But not too different from my memory."

"When will you be bringing the boy here?" Tobirama asked. He was still not entirely happy about this, but still, the boy was an Uzumaki. If there was one thing in common about them, it was their loyalty. They were also probably related by blood, considering the amount of inter-clan marriages between the Uzumaki and Senju clans. As it was, the boy was Lady Mito's great grand nephew, and the son of the Fourth Hokage. Perhaps he _was_ being a bit too paranoid.

"After I explain the situation to him." The current Hokage answered. "How much more chakra do you both have?"

"Enough to last a few days, perhaps." Hashirama estimated. "It will be much shorter if we have to do any Jutsus."

"I'm working on modifying this current form." Tobirama informed them. "We need a way to replenish the Shadow clones with chakra without destroying them."

"I'll help you with that." Hashirama offered. "Fuinjutsu is my area, no offence."

"Yes, that would probably be for the best." Tobirama agreed. Lady Mito had taught Hashirama a lot about sealing, he remembered.

"I'll leave you to it, then." The Sandaime said, and departed to his office.

* * *

"You know where to find me, at Seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't be late!" Kakashi said with an eye smile, concluding their first meeting. He was the only one with a cheerful mood at the moment, as the recently minted Genin were sweating bullets.

Kakashi suddenly stiffened. "Is something wrong?" He asked, glancing sideways.

An ANBU materialized at the spot, giving an acknowledging nod to Kakashi. "Uzumaki Naruto, you are to come with me to the Hokage's office immediately."

Naruto, who was already panicking over the exam Kakashi had announced, shook his head quickly. "I didn't do it, I swear!"

Team 7 now had large sweat drops, and the moment passed in silence.

"Please accompany me." The ANBU said, silently amused by Naruto's panic. He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. The duo vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Sakura broke the tense silence that followed. "Kakashi sensei? Why did the ANBU guy take Naruto?" She asked, a bit concerned. Whatever business involved ANBU were usually serious.

"I don't know." Kakashi replied. "The Hokage must've sent for him for whatever reason." _But why would he send Dragon?_ Kakashi wondered. The ANBU commander rarely left the Hokage's presence, if ever. Kakashi too, soon vanished, leaving two confused and disturbed Genin.

Naruto soon found himself in the Hokage's office. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Hokage cut him off.

"No, Naruto. You're not in trouble. Please sit down." The Sandaime said with a smile.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "So what's this about?"

"The technique you found in the forbidden scroll, the **Impure World Reincarnation**." The Hokage said, replacing his pipe. "Do you know why that technique is forbidden?"

"Because it needs a living sacrifice?" Naruto guessed.

"That," the Hokage nodded "is one of the reasons. The other is that because it turns the body of the sacrifice to chakra, the reincarnated Shinobi would have nearly unlimited amount of chakra to use. This makes the technique almost impossible to defeat. If it fell to the wrong hands, they would have a practically undefeatable army."

Naruto thought over that, and paled at the implications. "Why did the Second Hokage even create a technique like this?" He asked.

"Please do not judge him yet. He had no intention of using a living sacrifice. That necessity only became apparent at the later stages of the technique's development. He stopped researching that technique there, fearing mass murders and wars erupting due to it." The Sandaime sighed. "His only intention was to create a technique that would allow himself and likeminded shinobi to protect Konoha even after their deaths."

Naruto was at awe. To continue to defend the village, even after death. The Hokage were truly amazing.

"It was my mentor's wish" the Third Hokage continued "to summon him back to protect the village if a way was ever found to circumvent this problem."

"Why are you telling me this?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Because, Naruto, intentionally or not, you gave me an idea to circumvent the problem of the necessity of human sacrifice." The Third Hokage smiled. "You told me to use Shadow clones."

Naruto gaped. "Shadow clones? You can use that technique with shadow clones?"

"Not directly." The old Hokage relented. "I modified my teacher's technique. This new technique, which is named **Shadow Reincarnation**, absorbs chakra from a Shadow clone to reincarnate the shinobi."

All Naruto could do was nod. He was dazed at the implications if the technique was successful.

"As the amount of chakra that can be supplied by a Shadow Clone is limited, and the damage it can sustain is minimal, the technique, at present, would not be of much help in combat." The Hokage continued. "However, that's not what I wanted to tell you. I just wanted to explain to you the circumstances under which I summoned the First and Second Hokage. Not against their wishes, I assure you."

Naruto felt like hyperventilating. "It actually _worked_? You actually brought back the First and Second Hokage?"

"I did. There's no need to be afraid, Naruto. They mean the best for the village." The Hokage reassured him.

"It's not that. It's just... I never knew such Jutsus could exist, ones that could bring back the dead." Naruto said.

"It's a technique made possible with Fuinjutsu. Arguably, even this is not the greatest achievement of Fuinjutsu."

"What can be greater than bringing back the dead?" Naruto asked with awe.

"The seal on your stomach, Naruto. I believe that is one of the greatest achievements in history." The Hokage replied. "You should eventually understand that seal better, which is why I want you to start learning Fuinjutsu."

Naruto nodded excitedly. He felt a rush of excitement about learning such a formidable branch of shinobi arts. "So does Kakashi sensei know about Fuinjutsu?" He asked.

"He does, but you're going to learn it from a master. The First Hokage." The Sandaime smiled at the shock that was etched to Naruto's face.

"You're not telling me that... that the First Hokage wants to teach _me_?" Naruto found this a hard pill to swallow.

The Sandaime nodded. It was time to tell him. "Naruto, what do you know about the Uzumaki Clan?" The Sandaime asked.

Naruto frowned sadly. "I've learned that they were destroyed in the Second Shinobi world war." The only bit of history Naruto had ever paid attention to, were those concerning the Hokage and that concerning the Uzumaki Clan. It was a great shock to him that he was related to a clan, even if it was wiped out from the world.

"You are, as far as we know, the last living member of the Uzumaki clan. You became part of the clan because of your mother, Uzumaki Kushina."

Naruto's breath stilled. "You're telling me about my mother?"

"I think you're old enough to know." The Sandaime said. "As I've told you before, I cannot reveal who your father is due to the numerous enemies he had, but I believe it would be safe to let you know about your mother."

_If he's letting me know of my mother without telling me about my father, probably no one else knew about their relationship. _Naruto thought sadly. He understood the Hokage's reasons, of course, but it still stung.

"Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was a fine kunoichi. She was the daughter of the last clan head of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Mitsuhiko. She was brought to Konoha when she was still a child. Her parents wanted her to be safe from the war that had befallen Uzushiogakure, her home nation." The Sandaime decided that informing Naruto about Kushina's status as a Jinchuuriki would probably be too much at this point.

"Why was she brought here? I mean, I know Konoha and Uzu were allies, but why not stay in her homeland?"

The Sandaime mentally flinched. "They thought she would be safer here, under Lady Mito's care."

"Lady Mito?" Naruto asked, now confused.

"Uzumaki Mito was the wife of Senju Hashirama. Her sister, Uzumaki Misako, was your great grandmother." The Third Hokage explained. "In other words, you are the great grand nephew of Uzumaki Mito, and one of the last relations the First and Second Hokages have."

Naruto was positively gaping at this point.

* * *

The Third Hokage opened the door to the Senju manor. Naruto was trailing behind him, still dazed at the influx of information concerning his origins.

"You must be Naruto." A voice jolted Naruto out of his thoughts. He was met with the visage of a tall man with long black hair and tanned looking skin. He wore dark red armour that-in Naruto's opinion- looked ancient. Naruto recognized the face from the Hokage monument and some portraits he had seen. Beside him was a stern looking white haired man who wore a blue armour. Again, a face he immediately recognized. After all, who wouldn't recognize the First and Second Hokage?

"Nice to meet you." Hashirama said, grinning. He extended a hand to a still shocked Naruto. "I'm Senju Hashirama, and this is my brother Tobirama. Welcome to the family."

* * *

**Post A/N:** And cut! Please Review!


	3. Inheritance of the Will of Fire

**A/N: A massive Thank You to Testsubject069 for agreeing to be my beta!**

**Some of you pointed out that what Sandaime said about the necessity of a newborn to make a Jinchuuriki is not true. I am aware of that. The Sandaime was merely lying, because he couldn't say the truth without revealing Naruto's father's identity.**

**Spoiler Alert: Slight spoilers after Manga Chapter 619 .**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter 3**

**Inheritance of the Will of Fire**

As the night drew near, one of the most eventful days in Uzumaki Naruto's life was coming to a close. First he was assigned to Team 7 with his classmates, Sakura and Sasuke. Then he met his new sensei, the man who had saved him from Mizuki: Hatake Kakashi. And then immediately afterwards, he was called to the Hokage's office, from where he was informed of his mother's identity and consequently his relation to the First and Second Hokage. As if that weren't enough he _met_ the founders of Konoha shortly afterward and _talked_ to them. How? It seemed that the Third had figured out how to use Shadow Clones instead of living sacrifices to modify a technique the Second had created; a technique that reincarnated the dead. Of course, Naruto was the first to think about the idea of using Shadow Clones, but he never actually believed that it would actually work.

And now, late into the evening, Naruto found himself sitting beside the founder of the village on the Senju balcony, his eyes wandering over the vast stretch of land that lay around him. The Senju Clan estate was spread across acres upon acres of forest and dotted by wooden houses among the trees. While the clan gradually declined in numbers, the well-built houses remained so the Sandaime led him to a _Buke-zukuri, _the largest of them all. It was old fashioned and made entirely out of wood, but it was perfect for the situation and practically isolated Naruto and the previous Hokage from the village. Since he rarely had visitors, the fact that the villagers would be kept at arm's length news came as no shock. Everything on top of that on the other hand shook him up and he tried to come in terms with everything he had learned. But by the evening, he had just about settled in and moved his belongings, namely cup ramen.

Even after some quick some chit chat Naruto had formed his first impressions of the Senju brothers. The First Hokage was cool and relaxed while the Second Hokage was serious and stern; the Second was a man of few words, but the First wouldn't shut his mouth. Tobirama cared a lot for politics and diplomacy but Hashirama depended on mutual respect and idealism. Both seemed to be natural leaders in their own right, but the First and Second clearly had their own unique methods to handle it.

Presently, the Second was talking with the Third downstairs and Hashirama decided to keep Naruto company. Naruto suspected that it was more because Hashirama hated being too political, but he really didn't mind. Some may have even thought the First's detailed information of every single point in Naruto's life awkward or unnecessary, but for Naruto, this was a whole new feeling entirely. He reveled in it. It felt like the First was actually eager to know more about him. Moreover it felt like the First actually cared about him. Someone out there actually _cared_ about Uzumaki Naruto.

"Are you anxious about the survival test tomorrow?"

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by Hashirama's question. Truthfully, he had all but forgotten about the 'real' graduation exam.

"Of course not!" Naruto scoffed. "Now that I'm Genin, nothing will stop me from my dream. I will be Hokage, just you watch!"

"Is that so?" Hashirama asked, amused. "Good luck then. I'll help you in any way I can."

Naruto was caught off guard by Hashirama's support. "Err... Thanks." He muttered. He was used to people scoffing at his dreams. There were barely a handful of people out there nice enough to acknowledge him, but Hashirama was perhaps the first to actively offer support. _Is this what it's like to have family?_ Naruto wondered.

"So... who're your teammates?"

"Oh, there's Sakura-chan, the top kunoichi in this year's graduating class, and Sasuke. He's the Rookie of the year." Naruto said the last part grudgingly, like a hard pill to swallow.

"Sounds like you don't like him very much."

"You haven't met him. He's an egotistical bastard with a stick shoved up his ass."

"He can't be all that bad once you get to know him. You're teammates, so you have to _stick together_." Hashirama reasoned.

Naruto scowled at the thought of befriending Sasuke. "He's a loner. He doesn't want to be friends with anyone."

"No one deserves to be alone." The First said simply.

Those words struck a chord with Naruto. He had tried to reach out to Sasuke before, but the other boy wasn't friendly at all. Sasuke had just lost his entire family around the time he entered the academy while Naruto had never known family. Their situations may have been drastically different, but Naruto could imagine the grief Sasuke must have endured after losing someone whom he cared about. _Sasuke is alone right now, just like me. He has no friends._

"Sarutobi told me he's the last of the Uchiha Clan," Hashirama continued. "My former best friend was of the same clan." Hashirama's tone had evident regret, and perhaps... guilt?

Naruto considered the way the First had said that. "Your _former_ best friend?"

"Uchiha Madara." Hashirama said with a sad smile. "He was their leader actually, and he founded this village with me. It was our dream to create a place where children could grow up without constant warfare."

"Constant war?" Naruto asked. "Was it like that back then?"

Hashirama nodded slowly, lost in thought. "There were no shinobi villages when I grew up. It was just constant bloodshed between different clans in a struggle for survival." He sighed. "That was a terrible age, an age where shinobi were nothing but tools for Feudal lords. They would hire clans to do their bidding, often resulting in conflicts with other Feudal lords and their hired ninja clans. Children as young as possible were sent to the battlefield, and countless deaths resulted. I lost two of my brothers by the time I was ten, and I was tired of all the fighting.

"I met Madara during that time. He had the same thoughts as I did because he lost three of his own brothers the same way I did. We were in opposing clans, and that caused us to clash often, but he and I were able to reach an understanding in the end. The Senju and Uchiha, the two strongest clans of that era, came to a truce and Konohagakure was founded. Many clans joined us in order to stop the violence, and very soon other clans banded together to mimic our model. Hidden Villages were established, and it seemed that the constant warfare had come to stop. But I was wrong to think it was over so soon.

"Even after the union of many clans and creation of several villages, there was a silent struggle for power between them. One village feared another's strength so each village sought to be the strongest in order to feel the most protected. Since we were the strongest at first, other Hidden Villages were always wary of Konoha. All too quickly, the other villages tried to chip away at each other's strength, which resulted in skirmishes and bad blood between them. The situation brewed like this for some time until it finally boiled over into another Shinobi war, one perhaps greater than the wars when we were separate clans.

"I tried to diffuse the tension as much as possible, and tried to equalize the power so that quarrels wouldn't break out. But my actions only delayed the inevitable." Hashirama sighed. "Now I hear that three great shinobi wars have passed and it makes me wonder if any of it was worth it. Maybe I was just a fool after all; to think my efforts would put an end to a world filled with hate."

Naruto shook his head. "From what you told me, things were pretty bad back then, but it's way better now. Everyone in my age doesn't have to be afraid of war, and I think we live in peace. You made a big change, and that's what counts."

Hashirama smiled slightly at the young boy's support. "Perhaps that's true, but how long will it last? Shinobi villages need income, and income is made from missions—missions to take power away from other villages. Missions like ambush, kidnap, even assassination. All of this causes international turmoil. This leaves scars of hate on its victims. These scars fester hatred and animosity between villages, then greed is added to the mix, and when nobody can take it any longer… war. And then when it's all over, the weakened nations desperately search for more income, take on more missions, and nourish their hatred once again. The seeds of another war are sown right after the last one ends."

Hashirama turned to face a stunned Naruto. "How can anyone possibly put a stop to all this?"

Naruto was amazed by the depth of Hashirama's analysis. _Is that why the Shinobi Wars continue to happen? Because of the hate that's left from the previous war and greed? He's right. How can anyone put a stop to all this? _Naruto thought hard for an answer, but he couldn't find any.

"This isn't something one can answer suddenly." Hashirama said. "Truthfully, even I may have tried to end it too suddenly. My way to stop this cycle was probably defective, or at least incomplete. And then during my time as Hokage, I focused too much on Konoha alone without fully grasping how other villages had formed along with us.

"It's clear to me that wars can only be averted once _all_ shinobi reach a mutual understanding, but for that to happen, the entire _world_ needs to change. And change begins in the heart. I think to really achieve peace, we must be able to reach out to the hearts of those who consider us enemies. And even if we do reach other's hearts, the greatest task lies in making it last."

"So then… how do we make peace last?"

"That's something I haven't found the answer to. Or, I failed to find the answer to. My time is over now and a new age has come. Maybe someone from your generation will find an answer." Hashirama was tempted to push Naruto in that direction, but he didn't want to burden the child even more. _He already carries the Kyuubi, and keeps it at bay. I cannot ask more from him._

And Naruto knew nothing of what war was like. Heck, he knew nothing of what a shinobi's life was like at this point. But he did know that he was living in peaceful times and that it should be kept that way. But if what Hashirama said was true, then this peace wouldn't last. Soon war would be waged across the land and life as Naruto knew it would be destroyed. Moreover, if war did break out, then those so close to him could be killed. If his friends were killed… Naruto didn't even want to think about it. At that moment, this dream of the First Hokage, this dream of peace rested not only with Senju Hashirama, but with a young decendent of the Uzumaki Clan.

"I will find an answer." Naruto's determined eyes met Hashirama's. "I don't want to live in a war torn world, and I don't want my friends to either. It was pretty harsh when you were alive and I don't want that to happen ever again. I will find a way to stop the wars. That's a _promise_."

Hashirama didn't know what to say at first. The usually verbose Hokage was rendered speechless by Naruto's determined words that so closely resembled his personality. _Mito, you would be proud._ The First's face broke into a smile. "Then I entrust my will to you, Naruto, and I hope that it will burn inside you like fire. Let it give you strength to stop this cycle of hatred and protect not just Konoha, but the whole world. Hold this Will of Fire close to your heart, and pass it on to your friends and comrades. Let it illuminate the world and rid it of this darkness."

Now it was Naruto's turn to be taken aback by the First Hokage's words. The founder of Konohagakure, the First Hokage, Senju Hasirama was entrusting him with his greatest dream. No words came out to express his gratitude for the First's faith in him, so Naruto nodded shakily and hoped his sentiments were understood. Judging by his soft smile, it was clear that he did.

After spending a while in comfortable silence, Naruto noticed that it was already night time. He had dinner a while ago so he already felt tired. "So I guess I'll be hitting the hay." He got up and stretched. "Good night."

"Actually, Tobirama and I don't need to sleep." Hashirama clarified. "Since that's the case, I was thinking of starting your training tonight."

Naruto felt a jolt of excitement at the thought of being trained by the First Hokage. But...

"Don't get me wrong, I'm eager to! But I actually need to sleep..." Naruto trailed off, uncertain.

"You can go sleep, but you're also gonna be training at the same time." Hashirama grinned at the thoroughly confused Naruto. "Sarutobi told me you know the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything. A shadow clone is essentially a fragile copy of you. Whatever the clone learns, you learn as well. So while you sleep, I can instruct some of your shadow clones on the basics of Fuuinjutsu. When I dispel them, you will have that information returned to your memory."

"You're... kidding, right?" Naruto was once again awestruck by the possibilities of the ninja arts. He could learn much faster with such a method.

"No, it's true." The First grinned. "But you shouldn't overuse it, or the mental strain will be too much. With enough practice you'll be able to process the knowledge gained by a large numbers of clones, but for now we'll start with five."

Naruto nodded, still thinking of the possibilities. After forming the cross shaped hand seal, five clones materialized near him.

"You five, sit here. Go to bed, original." Hashirama commanded with a smirk. The real Naruto promptly wandered off, while the five clones resigned themselves for a sleepless night.

Hashirama faced all of his students, or all the copies of his student, and sat in a lotus position.

"So now, Fuuinjutsu. What do you know about it?" The First asked his student(s).

"It's used to seal things?" A clone guessed, remembering how he was a good living example.

Hashirama nodded. "To seal and unseal. That was what Fuuinjutsu was designed for at first, but over time many masters found that the subtle arts have a wider range of applications than just that. In fact, Fuuinjutsu eventually evolved into something that can overcome the basic limitation of ninjutsu."

"The basic limitation of ninjutsu?" Another clone echoed.

"Exactly. You know that we make handseals to mould chakra and make them flow in a particular manner, don't you?" Hashirama was met with silence. "...don't you?"

"Umm... I've never been very good with all this theory stuff." A Naruto clone rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Hashirama sighed. "Well this is one of the most basic parts of being a ninja, so you must understand it. Chakra is everything to a ninja because chakra is the energy of the universe. Everything that exists in the world is just a different form of energy, so if a ninja can control that energy, then he can do truly incredible things."

"But ninja can only mould chakra in a limited number of ways because the human body is limited. You know about hand seals, right? That is the only way that a human can mould chakra on his own. Now hand seals are very useful. Different seals can mould chakra into the five different elements, fire, water, lightning, wind, and earth, providing that you have the type affinity for it. They can also change the shape of chakra into other forms like plumes, torrents, thunderbolts, gusts of wind, or walls of earth and everything in between. But other than hand seals and a few bloodline limits, those are basically the only ways a human can control energy."

Naruto took a moment to process that information. "So how is Fuuinjutsu any different?"

"Fuuinjutsu overcomes the limited combination of hand seals. Although Fuuinjutsu is activated or deactivated by hand seals, the difference is that the execution of Fuuinjutsu uses language characters or drawn patterns, and that increases the amount of possible combinations of chakra moulding."

Naruto thought back to the characters he had seen in the forbidden scroll. "You mean all you have to do is draw those designs with brush and ink?"

"Those 'designs' are called seals." Hashirama elaborated. "And they needn't always be formed with brush and ink. Some shinobi can form seals out of natural materials and others can do it with just chakra. The key component though is the formation and pattern of the seals.

"The seals help the user to specify the exact quantity of chakra required for the technique, and the way in which the chakra behaves. With good imagination and a lot of experimentation, you can make the seals channel chakra to do just about anything. Beginners usually use a brush and ink to create characters on scrolls, and then they apply chakra to it. Sometimes, you have to guide the chakra in a specific way along the seals, and that's where the different hand seals come into play. But first you need to master the basics, so we'll start with a brush and scroll." With this, Hashirama produced a set of five brushes, some scrolls and a bottle of ink. Evidently, he came prepared to teach Naruto.

"There are many basic written seals just like there are basic hand seals. When you're advanced enough you'll learn to combine them or make your own, but for now, you can practice the basic seals." He distributed the scrolls and brushes to the clones, and placed the ink bottle in front of them.

"The first basic seal for Fuuinjutsu is the standard storage seal. This simple seal can't store objects; only chakra. The way it works is that it compresses the amount of chakra you feed it and the seal stores it. There are some parameters that set an upper limit to the amount of chakra you can store."

With that, Hashirama took one of the brushes and neatly traced out a pattern in the paper.

"Now, let's have a look at the parameters I told you about..."

As the world slept, the First Hokage began to unveil the complex and abstract art of Fuuinjutsu to the sole known survivor of the Uzumaki clan. Naruto had his gaze fixed intently at the paper, already familiarizing himself with the design and surprisingly paying attention to the Hokage's lecture.

Yes, Uzumaki Naruto would make a fine Seal Master indeed, someday.

**Post A/N:**

**This looked like a good place to stop. Please provide me with your feedback, everyone! Remember,**

**Constructive criticism is appreciated, so go ahead!**

Note: _Buke-zukuri _is a traditional Japanese house used by the warriors in older days. Naruto's new home is of this style. You can find pictures in the internet.

**04.08.13**

**ATTENTION: This story is NOT abandoned. Chapter 4 is completed, but my beta is a bit busy. The next chapter will be uploaded immediately after beta read.**


	4. Bell Test

**428 Follows. 277 Favourites. 96 reviews. 3 Chapters.**

**I am dumbstruck. O_O**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto'.**

**Chapter 4**

**Bell Test**

Sleep. The peaceful state of rest that provides an escapade from worldly concerns. A time to relax, both physically and mentally. This was more or less the concept the world shared about this respite, and it was no different for Naruto.

"Owww! What the heck?"

...Of course, any belief or concept can be shattered in an instant. Naruto shot up from his bed, looking around with wide eyes. He felt confused and disoriented. Why was he in a bed? Wasn't he talking to the First Hokage mere moments ago? Wasn't he being instructed along with his fellow clones on the art of fuinjutsu?

_Wait a minute...Fellow clones? But I'm not a clone! I'm real! _Naruto protested to himself. He distinctly remembered going to bed, but at the same time he remembered staying with Hashirama as a Shadow Clone. Confused was the right word to describe the situation. His head felt like it had run a mile in a minute, causing him to feel light headed. _What happened? _Naruto thought to himself, dazedly getting up. His thoughts were a mess, as were his memories for the past few hours.

Stumbling slightly, Naruto proceeded to do the morning chores. By the time he had finished, he had more or less formed an idea of what had happened. Moments before he had woken up, he –or more accurately, his clone –remembered feeling extremely sleepy while listening to Hashirama's voice. The First Hokage then had a mischievous expression on his face, and he heard Hashirama say 'time for you to wake up'. Not a moment later, Hashirama had hit his clone on the forehead with a finger. The next thing he knew, he woke up in his bed.

_So this is what he meant when he said I'll get the memories of my clones. _Naruto was equally intrigued and annoyed. While he was physically rested, his mind didn't feel as fresh as he was used to in the morning. _Still, _Naruto supposed, _it's a small price to pay, I guess. _Naruto could remember his first lesson on fuinjutsu with , he didn't remember all of it, as he had dozed off several times. He remembered practicing the basic chakra seal towards the end of the lesson.

Naruto wondered why all five of his clones had shared the same lesson. As he entered the balcony, he found himself facing four sleepy clones and a smug faced Hokage.

"Ah, good. I knew that'd get you here." Hashirama nodded.

"Did you have to wake me up like that?" Naruto felt like yelling at the top of his lungs at the Hokage, but restrained himself. He took his time to teach him, after all. Besides, he had a feeling Hashirama would just enjoy his ire.

"It worked very well, didn't it?" Hashirama beamed. "I didn't even have to move from my spot. Now, do you remember the entire lesson?"

Naruto frowned. "No, since I was pretty sleepy and... I couldn't pay attention throughout the lesson, sorry." Naruto finished lamely, hoping he wouldn't be scolded. Getting scolded by Iruka Sensei was one thing, but when it came from the First Hokage, it's a whole different matter.

"That's alright. No matter how much you try to concentrate, you can't pay attention to everything I say. This isn't your fault, as it happens to almost everyone. So I wasn't really expecting you to remember everything. That's why I asked you to create shadow clones." Hashirama said.

Naruto frowned. What did Shadow clones have to do with this? Hashirama pre-empted his question and flicked another clone on its forehead, causing it to disappear. Almost instantaneously, the real Naruto felt like his brain had received a painful jolt. This sensation was familiar, as he had experienced it when he woke up. For a few seconds, Naruto wasn't even capable of coherent thought. His entire brain seemed to be on fire at that short instant. As it 'cooled down', Naruto outright glared at Hashirama.

"Okay, seriously. Stop doing that!" Naruto could feel his head throbbing, indicating the arrival of a headache.

"They have to dispel sometime today anyway." Hashirama said, smirking. "Now how much do you remember?"

Naruto frowned. His eyes widened as the bits and pieces of this new memory merged with his existing memory. He felt like some gaps in his knowledge were filled. He then realized what Hashirama meant. Hashirama smiled at the realization on Naruto's face.

"Exactly. The clones serve to reinforce your memory and fill in the voids. Also, each clone thinks in a slightly different way, so you'll have five different interpretations of the lesson in your mind. Basically, it's the same as listening to my class over and over again, five times in a row. Hashirama extended his hand towards the third clone.

"No! Don-". Too late. Naruto clutched his forehead in pain, this time actually causing him to stumble. As soon as he was able to think properly, he tried his best to strangle the Hokage while the remaining clones made a run for it. He was not going to experience that again!

* * *

**Training Ground Seven, Early Morning **

Sasuke and Sakura could readily see that Naruto was not at all in a good mood when they saw him.

"Stupid Hokage. Stupid seals. Stupid-" Naruto muttered darkly, joining his two teammates in the early morning 'Survival test'. Sakura looked at Sasuke, who shrugged and looked away, uninterested. Sakura attributed Naruto's behaviour to the early time at which they were required to meet their sensei. Although what the Hokage and seals had to do with the matter was beyond her.

A little over half an hour passed, and the sun was now clearly visible. Naruto groaned, slapping his forehead. "Is he always going to be late?" He grumbled.

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura answered his question, though it was clear that they were equally annoyed by their teacher's tardiness. Minutes turned to hours and Kakashi arrived at ten in the morning, three hours after their designated time. He didn't even have the decency to look apologetic at the glares his Genin were sending him.

"Ah... A black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around." He answered the unasked question, smiling. They assumed he was smiling, anyway. You can't really tell when the only part of the face you can see is an eye.

_Great. Not only is he late, he's making stupid excuses too. _Sakura thought. "So what's this Survival Test about, sensei?" She asked, trying and failing to mask her annoyance.

In reply, Kakashi held up two bells. "Your aim is simple. Get the bells before the clock ticks twelve." He placed an alarm clock on top of a rock formation nearby.

"There are only two bells." Sakura frowned.

"Precisely. Didn't I tell you that this test had a sixty six percent fail rate? Two will pass, and one will fail, if you manage to take all the bells. None will pass if the bells remain in my possession. You get the idea." Kakashi told them with another one of his peculiar smiles. The Genin started sweating slightly at the proclamation. Well, Naruto and Sakura did, but Sasuke remained expressionless. Kakashi gestured at the two lunch boxes he had brought with him. "Only those who get the bells will be allowed to eat lunch. Those who fail will be tied to that post while the others eat lunch in front of them." He gestured at a post near a rock formation.

The Genin were reminded of how hungry they are at Kakashi's statement. They glared at the man who would dare to deny them lunch.

Kakashi chuckled and attached the bells to his belt. "When I say go, come at me with the intent to kill. You stand no chance otherwise."

The Genin tensed, awaiting the Jounin's signal. "Go." Kakashi said simply. Naruto dropped a smoke bomb from his pouch immediately. At the cover of the smoke, the three Genin vanished from sight.

_Good, they have the basics down. _Kakashi thought. _Naruto had plenty of experience escaping from ANBU like that. Granted, most of the ANBU sent after him would be trainees in chunin level, but still, stealth and escape seems to be his forte. _Kakashi walked towards a tall tree and leaned against it. Producing an orange coloured book from his weapon pouch, he began to read.

From his vantage point, Naruto watched incredulously as Kakashi began to read the little orange book, seemingly paying little attention to his surroundings. _He's a Jounin. _Naruto reminded himself. _He took down Mizuki with one hit. _As part of the academy curriculum, ninja aspirants like him would occasionally spar against their Chunin instructors, to give them a feel of what battling a real ninja was like. Spar would be a strong word, as what resulted would be a mostly one sided beat down. Even Sasuke, who was widely considered a genius, was yet to win against a Chunin level shinobi. From the night of the forbidden scroll incident, it became clear to Naruto that the gap between a Chunin and a Jounin was perhaps greater than that between a Genin and a Chunin. At least, this was true in Kakashi's case. _What should I do? _Naruto pondered.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at the Senju Clan compound**

Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, stood facing the five Shadow Clones that Naruto had left behind before he headed off to meet with his teammates and sensei. Tobirama could think of a million more productive ways to spend his time than to train a recently minted Genin. Granted, they were related, but he was Hokage, and he had to spend his time in a manner suiting the best benefit of the village. He had taken the Genin squad all those years ago due to the importance of educating the Sarutobi and Shimura Clan heirs and to appease the respective clans. He had grown to like his squad, but still his initial reasons were concerning the well being of the village.

His brother, however, was rather insistent that he train the boy while Hashirama studied the Shadow Reincarnation Technique. His brother's knowledge in fuinjutsu made him essential for the further betterment of the technique, and he would only persuaded to improve it if Tobirama were to take over Naruto's training for the day. Tobirama didn't have anything against Naruto. If anything, he wanted to help the boy. But his desires had no place when it comes to the village, and the village was everything to Tobirama. At present, however, his brother gave him no choice. He supposed he could spend some quality time with the young Uzumaki, training him.

"According to your academy records, your chakra control is poor." Tobirama stated, facing Naruto. "You have a large amount of chakra. This is partly due to your Uzumaki heritage. The Uzumaki clan members have a naturally strong chakra. In addition to that, the sealing technique that the Fourth Hokage used to seal the Kyuubi in you is designed so that small amount of its chakra seeps through the seal and mixes with yours. Thus you can utilize more chakra than what is naturally within you." Tobirama pre-empted Naruto's question. "Don't worry, this will not allow the Kyuubi to control you in any way. However, the chaotic nature of its chakra causes it to interfere with your own. This is the reason for your poor chakra control."

"Oh." Naruto didn't know what to say to that, really. He didn't understand half of it, but he did miraculously grasp the point. The Kyuubi's chakra was responsible for his poor control. "So what should I do?"

"You can work on chakra control exercises for a while. Controlling chakra is key to controlling ninjutsu and many other shinobi arts. You've done the basic chakra control exercises in the academy, I believe. We will now start with the Tree Climbing exercise."

"Tree... climbing?" One of the clones asked, trying and failing to keep the scepticism out of his voice.

"Without the use of your hands." Tobirama added, smirking slightly. Naruto just looked at him blankly. Tobirama walked towards a nearby tree, and without changing the pace, walked vertically _upward_. Gravity? Rot in hell.

The clones were positively gaping at this point. _Come to think of it, I think I have seen some shinobi standing on the walls sometime. And I thought it was a Genjutsu of some sort._

"This works by channelling the chakra to your feet in a controlled manner. Channel too much chakra, and you will be propelled off of the surface. Too little, and you fall down. This can greatly help in bringing your chakra under control. You can imagine how useful this technique would be to shinobi." Tobirama explained.

"Okay, so we have to channel our chakra to our feet. Can't be too hard." A clone muttered. The others nodded.

"If you fall down from a tree, you will use a significant portion of your chakra to maintain the body after hitting the ground. If you run out of chakra in that manner, it'll cause the clone to be dispersed. This isn't an easy technique to master. It would be better if you first place your feet at the base of the tree and experiment on the amount of chakra required to stick to it. Concentration is of utmost importance in this exercise. If you lose your concentration for an instant, you will lose balance. You have to practice this until it becomes second nature to you." Tobirama nodded at the clones. "I'll leave you to it."

The clones nodded, determined to get this down in no time.

* * *

**Training Ground Seven, 10:15 AM**

Hatake Kakashi slowly turned another page of his book. "Gee, it sure is quiet around here. Wouldn't you say, ?" He said, eyeing a little squirrel that was nearing the tree he was leaning on. Said squirrel stiffened at being addressed. Most uncharacteristically, it jumped back when a shuriken embedded itself on the position it was a second ago. A puff of smoke later, Naruto stood in the place of the squirrel, an irritated look on his face.

"Alright, what gave me away?" He asked the Jounin. His best bet of a sneak attack failed. Not that he fully expected it to work. That would've been too easy.

"The sound of your footsteps, for one thing." Kakashi eyed his student. "Also, you disturbed the ground while walking. I could see the leaves and grass crumbling all around that 'squirrel'. Then there's your smell. Shall I go on?"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Naruto was beyond irritated now. Those same tricks worked on some of the rookie ANBU sent after him during one of his pranks. This guy, however...

"Nice try though." Kakashi complemented. "Would you like to leave and try again?"

"No thanks. I might not get this close next time." Naruto replied. Kakashi was about three foot away from him. Naruto jumped forward, his hand extending towards the bell. Before he could grab the bells, however, Kakashi vanished. Abruptly regaining his footing, Naruto blinked. _Huh? Where did he go? _

"Don't let your enemy get behind you." Naruto froze as a voice sounded from behind him. "Konoha Style: Secret technique-"

"Naruto, look out! He's using ninjutsu!" A voice he identified as Sakura's shouted from somewhere in the vicinity. Before he could replace himself, however, Kakashi had completed his technique. "- One thousand years of Death!"

Kakashi smirked in satisfaction as his fingers made contact with Naruto's underside. His satisfaction however, vanished when his target disappeared in a puff of smoke. _Clever little brat. So he can use Shadow Clones, as the Hokage said._

Naruto had to stop himself from screaming out as his Shadow Clone disappeared. It seems that the memory transfer worked in ways that are non beneficial too. _I'm gonna get him for that. _He seethed.

Sakura recoiled in disgust at their sensei's supposed ninjutsu. She blinked as Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. _Substitution? But what did he substitute with?_

* * *

**Training Ground Seven, 10:30 AM**

A single feminine shriek tore through the relatively quiet training ground, causing Naruto and Sasuke to stiffen in surprise. They identified the sound to be that of their female team member, Sakura.

_Looks like he's started his hunt. _Sasuke gritted his teeth. No matter how long he waited, Kakashi wouldn't show an opening. He cursed silently as the Kakashi he was looking at vanished. Sasuke realized that he had been spying on a clone for some time now, while the real Kakashi went out to get Sakura. His conscience warred against reason. He identified horror in Sakura's voice. But he might get himself caught if he moved into the open. _Besides, it could be a trap._ He reasoned.

A minute later, Sasuke got up from his hiding place. _I'm probably going to regret this. _He thought to himself. _Whatever. If Kakashi decides to attack, I'll fight back. That seems to be the only option, since even Naruto's well planned sneak attack failed. _Sasuke had to admire the brilliancy of Naruto's plan. He didn't suspect a thing when that squirrel got close to Kakashi. Who would've guessed that the class dead last would use the Transformation technique like that? Still, it wasn't enough.

Steeling his resolve, Sasuke got to the location of the scream under the cover of trees and bushes. He saw Naruto stooping over Sakura, concern evident in his face. _I should've known he'd be here._

"What happened?" Sasuke asked, walking towards Naruto and an unconscious Sakura.

"I don't know. She looks fine. But she was passed out when I got here." Naruto said, frowning.

"Genjutsu, probably." Sasuke surmised. Placing his index and middle fingers on Sakura's forehead, he muttered "Kai." He released a pulse of his chakra through Sakura's chakra system, disrupting it and freeing her from the genjutsu.

Sakura groaned slightly as she opened her eyes. Upon seeing Sasuke, she promptly sat up and hugged him, saying "You're alive!"

"Hey! What about me?" Naruto asked jokingly. Sakura just sent him a glare. Sasuke extracted himself from Sakura's grip, scowling and regretting his choice to come here. "Alright. Now that that's over with, I'm outta here. That guy leaves no choice but direct combat." Sasuke told them, walking away.

"You seriously think you have a chance of touching him?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow. Sasuke seethed.

"Got any better ideas?" He asked, not turning around. He had analysed the Jounin from his position, and there was no openings to exploit. After witnessing Kakashi's speed in dodging Naruto's assault, his hopes were dashed. How can he win against someone who can move faster than the eye can see?

"I don't know!" Naruto exclaimed, frustrated. "I'm out of ideas after what I pulled. If he saw through my Transformation jutsu that easily, and he can move faster than I can react, how am I supposed to beat him? And I know the same goes for you." Sasuke admittedly had much better Taijutsu and reaction times as compared to Naruto. But it wouldn't come anywhere close to Kakashi's.

Sakura didn't like Sasuke being talked down to, but Naruto had a point. "But it's a test. A test is supposed to have an answer, right?" Sakura asked, more to herself.

Sasuke turned around. "And the answer is...?" He asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Naruto pondered that. _What could be the answer? _"This is stupid. I mean if they want us to compete for the bells against a Jounin, then why did they put us in a team in the... first...place?" Realization dawned on him as he said the last part. He then proceeded to slap his face over and over again, muttering "stupid stupid stupid..."

Naruto's teammates bemusedly watched Naruto's self imposed punishment. "Yes, we know you're stupid. So what?" Sasuke asked, irritated.

"He practically _told_ me the answer" Naruto muttered, more to himself than for the sake of others. He faced his teammates. "We have to work together. Teamwork is the key."

"What? There are only two bells!" Sakura protested. Sasuke however, widened his eyes in realization. He felt like slapping himself, just like Naruto. "He deliberately created conflict." Sasuke said out loud, causing Naruto to nod.

_Ah, man! Hashirama-ojii almost spelled out the answer for me! _Naruto thought to himself. '_You're teammates, so you have to stick together._' Naruto repeated in his mind, recalling his conversation with Hashirama the night before. The First even emphasized the last part of the sentence, but he didn't think much of it at the moment.

'Teamwork' was almost a foreign concept to Sasuke. He was always alone after _that_ night. His life's goal was to kill _him_, and nothing else mattered. He distanced himself from everyone else so that _he _wouldn't come and kill them as well. He worked alone. But even he could see logic. The Jounin's skills were in a whole other level. As he was right now, they stood no chance alone. But together, perhaps... He grimaced.

Sakura digested the information. Now that she thought about it, the answer _was_ simple. Iruka sensei had even told them yesterday that they would be completing missions with their respective Genin teams. _Of course team work is important._

* * *

**Training Ground Seven, 11:15 AM**

Kakashi stifled a yawn as he turned another page in his beloved book. It was not that the book was boring, far from it. But he was kind of expecting to be attacked at any moment, but he kept getting disappointed. _Did they all fall asleep? _He wondered. He expected the Uchiha boy to try by now, at least so that he wouldn't feel out done by the supposed 'dead last'.

He casually tilted his head sideways as a kunai embedded itself on the tree. He was, however, taken by surprise when this started a whole round of attacks, from all around him. _Shadow Clones. _Kakashi rolled his eyes. He deflected all the projectiles aimed at him with a single kunai. Holding a few shuriken, he swept his right hand in a wide arc, releasing the shuriken one by one. Six distinct pops were heard, indicating that all six of the attacking clones were dismissed. All the while, he was still reading the little orange book. _Why is he the only one trying? _Kakashi wondered.

Naruto flinched from his position as the memory of six clones assaulted him in a second. "He took them all out with a shuriken each. Without looking up from his book." Naruto informed his teammates. Sakura's heart sank at the news while Sasuke grimaced.

"As I thought. He has excellent reaction time." Sasuke had suggested that Naruto send a few clones to scout their opposition after Naruto revealed his latest trick to his teammates. They didn't want to ruin their chance by outright attacking the Jounin. They intended to keep the fact that they were working together a secret until the last second so that their Jounin would be caught by surprise.

"So I guess it's time to begin operation S.P.A.M." Naruto grinned, forming a cross shaped seal. "**Multiple Shadow clone jutsu!**"

* * *

Kakashi tensed as he heard the sound of many silent footsteps converging around his location. Unlike last time, this was not a small scale attack. The footsteps were soft, but he could tell that there were many of them. Kakashi estimated about twenty of them were now surrounding him.

As one, about twenty of Naruto's Shadow Clones charged towards the Jounin. _They'll be too weak in such large numbers. They'll only last a minute or two even if they don't receive any damage. _With this thought, Kakashi kept swatting any of the clones that came close to him in rapid succession. _They have terrible form. _Kakashi noted. Naruto's taijutsu was coarse and unrefined, and couldn't even get near him to attack. At least, that's what he thought, until one of the clones dodged his blow and got a step closer than the rest. Undeterred, Kakashi aimed a punch at the clone's midriff. He was caught by surprise when the clone redirected the punch with his left hand while the right went for the bell. Narrowing his eyes, Kakashi's foot made contact with the clone, but not before the clone managed to grasp a bell. The Jounin regretted his choice to continue reading the book as the 'clone' was now in possession of a bell. It was dragged through dirt by the force of the kick. Kakashi blinked as the 'clone' was enveloped in a puff of smoke, and a smirking Sasuke was in its place.

_Never in the history of the bell test... _Kakashi thought, smirking to himself slightly. He was, however, caught by surprise when Sasuke began to form hand seals, signifying the Uchiha clan's famous jutsu, **Fire Release: Great Fireball**.

_He should't be able to do that, he's just a genin! _Kakashi thought to himself, slightly shocked. He made a quick substitution to avoid being charred by the technique. However, a few of Naruto's clones were not so lucky. _So they have one bell and still working together. Well, would be if Sakura had done something..._

Kakashi had to substitute himself again as he was forced to dodge a barrage of shuriken from one of the few remaining clones. _Naruto doesn't have_ _such a good aim._ Kakashi thought, recalling the attack the previous attacks by the Shadow Clones. He eyed the Naruto clone in suspicion. _So that's where you are, Sakura. _He jumped down from the tree he was hiding in to avoid another attack from Sasuke. Deciding to take care of the remaining clones, Kakashi disappeared from his position and reappeared in the midst of the three remaining clones. He gave them each a bang on the head. Two of them dispersed. The third, however, ignored it and shot his hand towards the remaining bell. Kakashi was half expecting this, however, and caught Naruto's hand right in time. Not stopping, he twisted the hand so that Naruto was forced to turn his back on him. Kakashi immediately hit Naruto's knees, causing him to crumple on his feet. The Jounin had now restrained Naruto with a kunai pointed at the back of his head.

"Stand down Sasuke, Sakura." Kakashi ordered. Realizing the position the Jounin had Naruto in, they froze. "Good. Now stay still until the time is up or your teammate will pay the price." He said in a threatening manner. He was satisfied when neither Sasuke nor Sakura twitched, although Naruto was silently cursing to himself. Moments later, the alarm went off, signifying the end of the test.

Kakashi released Naruto and smiled at the glaring Genin. "You pass, Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura, you fail."

All three of the Genin gaped at Kakashi's proclamation. Naruto protested. "But I didn't get the bell either. Why are you failing only Sakura?"

"You and Sasuke worked together to get the bell. The strategy would've failed without either one. Sakura didn't contribute to that, and only engaged me once throughout the confrontation. As I see it, the two of you are ready to be Genin, but Sakura needs another year to sort out her priorities."

Sasuke shook his head. "Sakura came up with the idea of disguising us along with Naruto clones. We wouldn't have a strategy in the first place without her. Either we all pass or we all fail." He said resolutely. Naruto nodded vigorously in agreement.

"It's okay, guys. I didn't do anything." Sakura's voice quivered as she said that. "You two deserve to pass."

"Nope. No chance. Not going on without you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said fiercely. Sasuke smirked, showing his agreement.

"Well, you leave me with no choice then." Kakashi said, looking at them without revealing any emotion. "You all pass!" His demeanour suddenly relaxed, and his face (?) reflected pride. Contrary to his expectations, however, the Genin didn't look all that surprised at the proclamation. They were cheering, but they looked like they more or less expected it. Kakashi swelled with pride.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered. "Operation S.P.A.M, success!"

"S.P.A.M?" Kakashi quirked an eyebrow.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Shadow clone Powered Attack Manoeuvre" She elaborated.

Kakashi smiled at the rather imaginative name. _Sounds like a name you'd come up with, Minato Sensei. _"Since you don't seem surprised, I suppose you understand the true meaning of the test?" Kakashi asked his Genin.

Naruto nodded. "Teamwork, right?"

Kakashi smiled. "Indeed. Until you're all promoted to Chunin, this team will be your family. Someone who leaves a teammate behind to complete a mission isn't worth being a ninja in my eyes. Rules are important, and those who don't follow the rules are considered as trash in the shinobi world. But those who abandon their comrades, they're worse than trash."

Naruto was broadly grinning by the end of Kakashi's little speech. He liked that philosophy. Sasuke's expression didn't give away much, but it was clear that he was pleased that they had arrived at the right answer. Sakura was fawning over Sasuke, declaring that nothing can separate them anymore. Kakashi sweat dropped. _I'll have to work on that._

The Jounin coughed to get the attention of the Genin. "The test I gave you today is traditionally called the Bell Test. The Third Hokage gave this same test to his students, the Legendary Sannin. You've undoubtedly heard of them." Kakashi said. His students nodded, as the Legendary Sannin were just that. Legendary. "Lord Jiraiya of the Sannin gave the same test to his students, and the Fourth Hokage, Lord Jiraiya's student, gave this test to my team. You could say that it's a tradition passed through the generations." Kakashi added. His students looked awestruck at this piece of news. They were part of a tradition that made legends like the Sannin and the Fourth Hokage, not to mention their sensei.

"Woah! So the Fourth was your teacher?" Naruto asked. Admiration was clear in his voice.

"Yes, he was a great man." Kakashi lost himself in thought, his eyes never leaving Naruto's headband. "So you have a great deal to live up to. Though I have to say, none of these teams I've mentioned deciphered the meaning of this test as quickly as you did." He said with pride. "So congratulations!"

The Genin cheered, glad that their teacher had such high expectations for them. "Don't worry Kakashi sensei! Your team will also give birth to legends. Like me, for example. The Greatest Hokage ever!" Naruto seemed to be picturing himself in that position, a grin never leaving his face. Sakura rolled her eyes, though even Sasuke didn't make fun of him. Naruto's performance today had earned their respect.

* * *

**Hokage's Office, 12:30 PM**

"Team Seven, consisting of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto pass with flying colours." Kakashi declared, much to the shock of almost everyone else in the room. Sarutobi Asuma dropped his cigarette in shock. Yuuhi Kurenai was looking at Kakashi like he grew two heads. Umino Iruka's jaw hit the ground, and Maito Gai was... shouting about the power of YOUTH!

The Third Hokage wished he had a camera to record everyone's faces as Kakashi said that. He too would be surprised, if he hadn't taken a peak at the exam in progress with his **Telescope Technique**. The team, after all, carried important traditions. He was waiting to see one of them tied to a post, but he was pleasantly surprised. He had a good feeling about this team. They passed each and every one of Kakashi's tests for teamwork. First, they teamed up despite the test's design to generate conflict in them. Then, they went to look for Sakura when she was in danger. Afterwards, they stopped their attack when they realized that their teammate, Naruto, was in danger. They refused to abandon Sakura when Kakashi singled her out. All in all, it was the best result one could hope for from a shinobi cell.

* * *

**Senju Clan compound**

Afternoon found Naruto in the clan compound, glaring at a tree like it was his mortal enemy. After he recounted the incidents of the Bell test to the Hokage, he was congratulated by both. He felt a warm sensation rise up in his stomach at that moment. The Second then reminded him that he might want to get back to tree climbing after he was sufficiently rested. His clones had all dispersed by the time he had lunch, as this exercise used up chakra fast. Now that he was rested and ready, he was about to tackle the challenge with everything he had.

Creating four clones beside him, Naruto rushed towards the tree, recalling the amount of chakra needed to stick to the tree. He remembered getting as far as five steps from his clones memories, and a significant portion of the tree still lay ahead of him. Concentrating, Naruto climbed and counted the steps as he went. _...four, five, six, se-_

A loud thud was heard as Naruto hit the ground again. He was excited at his sudden progress, and that caused him to lose concentration and fall. His clones too lost their concentration when he fell down, but Naruto noted that his progress had almost doubled.

_When I dispersed the clones, their experience helped me to get higher. _Though, Naruto noted, this wasn't as effective as it was for fuinjutsu practice. The clones had all progressed roughly by the same amount during their training. He just gained more practice at it, but this method won't be as useful here as it was in fuinjutsu. _Still, it's good practice._

Getting up, Naruto once again rushed towards his tall challenge. The road to success is filled with many failures, though Naruto wished they weren't this painful. Ouch.

* * *

**Ending notes: **

**If you find anything wrong with the way Naruto is characterized, please let me know through your reviews. I know that my characterization is different from canon, but I can't help it. However, I have been informed that Naruto here follows different logic structures during different situations. Thank you 'sendicard', for bringing this to my attention. I've decided to publish this chapter anyway so that there would be more material to base his character on. What do you think of Naruto's character? Is the characterization inconsistent? Please tell me where I'm going wrong.**


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